The Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project, spearheaded by Kosmos Energy and straddling the maritime border between Senegal and Mauritania, is back in the spotlight. The Texas-based energy company has shared fresh updates on the ramp-up of this cross-border field, which entered commercial production in early 2025. The development is under intense scrutiny in Dakar, where Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has made resource management a cornerstone of his administration.
Cross-border infrastructure reshaping energy dynamics
Born from years of diplomatic and technical negotiations between Dakar and Nouakchott, the GTA project spans a shared offshore gas reserve. The resource split is evenly divided between Senegal and Mauritania—a rare arrangement in West African extractive industries. Kosmos Energy leads the development in partnership with bp, the historic permit operator, while national champions Petrosen and Mauritania’s hydrocarbon company (SMH) represent state interests.
The first phase revolves around a floating liquefaction unit (FLNG) designed to process gas for export to global markets. Initial capacity targets hover around 2.3 million tons of liquefied natural gas annually. Kosmos reports steady progress toward full operational capacity following the successful technical commissioning last year and the dispatch of first cargoes.
Navigating political expectations in Dakar
Since the election of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko in March 2024, the GTA project has faced heightened political oversight in Senegal. The government has reiterated its commitment to reviewing or auditing contracts inherited from the previous administration, citing imbalances perceived to disadvantage the state. This stance introduced a period of uncertainty for international operators, including Kosmos and bp.
The recent update from Kosmos is clearly aimed at restoring confidence by emphasizing operational continuity and reinforcing collaboration with both governments. The company has acknowledged some scaling back of earlier ambitions, with financial analysts pointing to a gap between initial projections and actual output during the early months of production.
For Senegal, the steady ramp-up of GTA holds major fiscal implications. Once operating at full capacity, the project is expected to generate hundreds of billions of CFA francs in annual revenue. These funds are earmarked for the intergenerational fund and the national budget—key instruments in Dakar’s strategy for managing natural resource wealth.
Phase two, local content, and energy sovereignty
The focus now shifts to expanding GTA’s footprint. The second phase, once envisioned to lift annual capacity to around 3 million tons, remains contingent on agreements between industry partners and governments. Kosmos has indicated that feasibility studies are underway, though no firm timeline has been set. External factors—global LNG prices and the operator’s debt reduction strategy—are also influencing the timeline.
In both Dakar and Nouakchott, local content remains a top priority. The Senegalese government has repeatedly stressed the need to integrate national firms into every link of the value chain, from industrial subcontracting to logistics services. Prime Minister Sonko has also floated the idea of redirecting a portion of domestic gas production to power local thermal plants, aiming to lower the country’s energy costs.
Yet, policymakers operate within tight constraints imposed by existing contracts and the need to maintain investor confidence in the MSGBC basin. Several neighboring blocks are still under exploration, and the government’s stance toward Kosmos and bp will serve as a litmus test for future investment. The credibility of Senegal’s gas ambitions is now being forged as much on the FLNG deck as in the corridors of power in Dakar.
